Found a nauseating yellow running vest wadded up on a parking meter yesterday, it'll make a dandy hi-viz overvest.
(I risked the non-paying option for a 20 minute errand and it paid off, so I saved $25 too).

While out running errands today I spotted a pair of blue handled channellock pliers.The most usefull of all tools.That got me to thinking with all these" adv'riders loggin thousands of kilometers/miles a year what is the most usefull thing you have found?

10lb sledge hammer. IIt was brandnew. Nearly hit it, that would have been a day ender.

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Late last year while riding down the highway I was following a truck with a Utility bed and noticed a 2lb sledge hammer on the bumper. Pulled up next to him and grabbed the handle. Pulled alongside and handed it to the passenger. The look on his face was classic.:eek1:huh

I immediately threw down one of my gloves, went back and 15 minutes of crawling around on the pavement found my tooth

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...but did you find the glove?

An (empty) camera case blew out of my tank bag while I was riding through Custer State Park. I was having so much fun riding, I didn't even slow down. Same thing when a ball compass that I had just stuck to the windscreen fell off (funny thing is the identical one I put on my other bike has been there for years).

Late last year while riding down the highway I was following a truck with a Utility bed and noticed a 2lb sledge hammer on the bumper. Pulled up next to him and grabbed the handle. Pulled alongside and handed it to the passenger. The look on his face was classic.:eek1:huh

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I had a similar thing happen. Pulled up behind a work truck at a red light. Big hammer sitting on the bumper. I pulled up close to grab it just as the light turned green.

Had to follow the guy for a couple miles when he pulled into a parking lot before I could give him his hammer.

On a dual sport ride some 15 or so years ago, I stopped on a whim to take a leak, and while standing there looking down the roadbank, spotted a pink fanny-pack under/behind a sagebush. Picked it up, inside was wedding ring, wallet, necklace, etc of a wife riding two-up. It was in a spot that it would have never been found if you went out looking for it. Needless to say, they were thrilled when I rolled in with it later.

Karma. The next day, I lunched my XR600 motor and got towed to gas stop by another rider. About 50 miles from start/finish and who should be there? Right, the two-up wife who had driven the pickup out today to meet hubby for lunch. I didn't have to ask twice if she'd haul me/bike back to town. Pretty useful.

On a dual sport ride some 15 or so years ago, I stopped on a whim to take a leak, and while standing there looking down the roadbank, spotted a pink fanny-pack under/behind a sagebush. Picked it up, inside was wedding ring, wallet, necklace, etc of a wife riding two-up. It was in a spot that it would have never been found if you went out looking for it. Needless to say, they were thrilled when I rolled in with it later.

Karma. The next day, I lunched my XR600 motor and got towed to gas stop by another rider. About 50 miles from start/finish and who should be there? Right, the two-up wife who had driven the pickup out today to meet hubby for lunch. I didn't have to ask twice if she'd haul me/bike back to town. Pretty useful.

On the bike I believe the most useful thing I ever found was a roll of bailing wire right next to where I broke the shifter off my bike. It was laying in a pile of trash somebody dumped in the woods. I wired that sucker back on and managed to nurse the old KE home. And I has the photo (circa 1978-ish) to prove it.

The most useful thing I didn't find was riding the same bike. The chain broke and the countershaft sprocket somehow came off, ran up my leg and flew off into the salt marsh to disappear into the pluff mud. I had a master link but no extra sprocket. It was a long walk down the railroad tracks for home. Too bad we didn't have cell phones back in the good old days.

The only thing I ever found that I can remember was at a mid-day stop that we took so I could straighten out my back (over 700 miles in about half a day on a ZX-7R). Best place to get my back straight was gonna be me lying on a picnic table, so I went at it.

There was a cat at the table when I got there (no houses around), and it layed down against my head and we both slept for a bit. When I woke up I decided to try to take the cat home, but it didn't like the motorcycle when it started up... so I had to leave it.

Worst thing found - mild frostbite of both hands (when my bike's chain broke and I spent time trying to fix it) that still affects me 30 years later.

I've got to wonder if the style of bike one rides can be more conducive to finding things... the bikes I've had don't seem to put me in a position to look around much, and the speeds I've ridden at don't allow the minute detail either. Put me on a KLR where I'd have to ride slow(er) and I bet I'd find more, lol.

1) Found a screw driver on a day when I had forgotten my tools at the exact spot that a friends bike stopped running because his carb sucked in something.That required removing the carb....With a screwdriver.

A small bag with a reasonably good 35mm travel camera and $120 in it. I developed the film and left the pics of the people (a wedding) and my contact info with the local police. After 6 months I claimed them as my own.